Portable knockdown article supporting device



May 20, 195.2 w. c. MARTINO 2,597,157

PORTABLE KNocxDowN ARTICLE SUPPORTING DEVICE Filed March 5l, 1950 E; Wil/iam C. Mari/ho Patented May 20, 1952 l PORTABLE xNooxnovvN ARTICLE n SUPPORTING DEVICE H william o. Martino, Philadelphia, Pa., assigner v of thirty per cent to Ernest Martino and thirty v per cent to Albert B. F. Martino, both of Philadelphia, Pa.

application March a1, 195o, Y2 claims. (o1. 24a- 1150) 'The present invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in miscellaneous article supporting devices and has more particular reference to a novel clothes-tree which' is vadapted for use at the seashore, swimming pools, picnic grounds and the like, where it may vbev handily utilized as a suitable support for miscellaneous articles such astowels, baskets, cameras, portable radios, sneakers and many other articles of clothing.

`- --'The principal object of the invention is to provide a simple, eicient, andsuitablemulti-purpose tree.V in.. whicbimanufaburgrs' users and others iwill find their anticipated needs fully met, Vcontained and conveniently available.

Another object of the invention is tofulfill a long-felt need for a practical portable-knockdown article 'supporting tree which will vsuspend Vthe statedV articles in a position well above the ground and out of reach of crawling insects and animals.

Briefly summarized, the preferred embodiment of the invention has to do with a portable knock- Serial No. 153,116

upright'is denoted, generally, lby the numeral 6. It is preferably constructed to facilitate carrying, erecting and dismantling. It is therefore made up of -several complemental sections,v the lower section 8 being pointed "at its lower end as at Ill to be temporarily anchored in the sand, ground orother surface A. This section, which may be of wood, metal or the like, is provided on its upper end with a-'socket I2 telescopically receiving the lower end` offthe intermediate section I4. The latter yis also provided on' its upper end with a socket member I6. The socket member I6 servesto accommodate the'lower telescopically connected end of the upperisection I8. They latter serves, obviously, lto accommodate and support the readily attachable anddetachablerhead structure. `The head structure as bepointed lower end to be conveniently forced and anchored in the ground and a readily applicable and removable attachment-type head to be mounted on the upper end of the upright, said head being in the form of an especially constructed sleeve constituting a mounting hub for horizontal radial arms, the arms being detachable, when not in use, from said sleeve.

Other objects and advantages will become more readily apparent from the following description and the accompanying illustrative drawing.

In the accompanying sheet of drawing wherein like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the view:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a miscellaneous article supporting tree constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention, the same being shown set up for use:

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional and elevational view taken on the plane of the line 2\-2 of Figure l, looking in the direction of the arrows; and

Figure 3 is a horizontal section. on an enlarged scale, taken on the plane of the line 3-3 of Figure 1, also looking in the direction of the arrows;

Referring now to the drawings by numerals and accompanying lead lines, the standard orv fore mentioned is characterized by a coupling or -sleeve 20 which is to bev fitted over the end of section I 8 in the manner shown in Figures 2 and 3. The sleeve, which may be of sheet metal or any equivalent stock, is die stamped or otherwise made to provide elongated circumferentially spaced clearance slots 22 and complemental outstanding socket members 24. The socket members may be extruded, welded or otherwise incorporated and they are polygonal or otherwise non-circular in cross section. It will be noted that the socket members and slots correspond in lengths and that they terminate inwardly of the upper and lower end portions of the sleeve proper. A set screw 26 is provided for fastening the sleeve on the upright means 6. The arms, which serve as article hangers and racks are denoted by the numerals 28. Each arm is preferably made from a bar of metal which is also polygonal in cross section. The body or main portion of the arm is denoted at 30 and the outer end is upturned at 32 and serves as a retaining hook. This will prevent articles from slipping endwise olf of the arm in an obvious manner. The inner end of each arm is also laterally bent to provide a second hook 34. It will be noted that this hook is of a length so that its lower end portion 36 extends downwardly beyond the corresponding slot and socket and rests firmly against the body portion of the sleeve. By having the slot 22 present, it; is obvious that the principal friction surfaces contacted by the hook 34 are the three walls of the socket member. By thus providing clearance the step of inserting and removing the hook 34 is, obviously, expedited and there is less chance of hanging and binding. Then too, just in case the hook 34 for some reason was slightly diaving ytljiusjdescribed the invention, claimedas neir'is:

jammed, the lower protruding end 36 is available to be struck with a hammer or other instrument to dislodge and assist in extracting the hook from the socket member. It is of course obvious thatthe cross section of they hook 34 corrfes'ppnds 'to 'the cross sectioriihof thesocket member so that the hook is thus removably "keyed in place. .d

As before stated, the standard or upright means 6 is easy to pack. transport lfromjplace to place and is likewise easy to erect `andfdi's-l mantle. The head structurels novena than@ coupling sleeve 20 is especially "slotted anjdprof ing the head structure to theuprig'ht'means-for "v practical utility. A Y

A careful consideration of the foregoing de- Y fselfilll'fifmP in lgnueetien .Wthfthe .inventien as i illustrated inthe drawineswill enable the reader gto.. obtain a clean understanding A andlimpression 0f the alleged.' fatlllemefil? and novelty, $1,151' cient jto ,clarify the construction of the invention 'ashereineterplaimed.,

. ,Minorigehanges in. Shane, feige, Vmaterials and rearrangement off-Darts maybe, reSQrted te in factual-:practice ,SoglQnaas ,ne departure is made i from the ,ini/entierl.4 as, claimedt what is 1. ,In a'pertable kllekewntypefe-tlehaneing treefor use at thejbeach, acylindrical open endedsleere `havingf.cireum ferelflially extruded ,portions defining ,K dl'iplicatp,V socket members, the

` y9131er and lowelllldspd inwardly frQm 00.1- V g v responding, endsof said "sleeve, and a plurality of Y,1,"1'1191595 4 duplicate interchangeable arms, the latter being likewise polygonal in cross-section and having upturned hooks on their outer ends and downturned hooks on their inner ends, the latter beingn removably keyed in said socketF members and .-beingfofjlengths"greater than tlie'flerrgths of said `socket'nernbers`.

2. As a new article of manufacture, an elonmgatendopen ended sleeve having circumferentially spr" 'ed'fl'ong'itudinally extending clearance slots terminating at their opposite ends short vof the corresppndinglends of said sleeve and having, in jadditionoutsftanding socket members commen- Ysuratein length,s.with the lengths of said slots, said socket #members being rectangular in cross- .section andnaligned with their respective slots, Vand 'aplurality Lof article supportingrarms hav- .ing right angularly directed inner end portions, the latter being rectangular in cross-section, re-

proper, `wherebyr to facilitate 'the stepv of v'irisertig andremovi'ng said end portions.

, .,C. la ,0;

'REs/rn' The followingreferences are of reco'cl'nthe le of'V this patent:

A Number Y n 35 ,903,593 ,1 y1,535,652 f2?. 192.5 1,594,708 Briggs 'ugfa V'192.6 

